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Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has expressed regret over missing the opportunity to purchase Arsenal Football Club for $2 billion when he had the chance to overtake.
During an interview with Bloomberg’s Francine Lacqua, the Nigerian billionaire revealed that while he was once interested in buying the English football club, his decision to focus on completing his multi-billion-dollar refinery project in Nigeria took precedence.
“I regret not buying Arsenal before, but my money was more needed in completing my project than buying Arsenal,”
Dangote stated, acknowledging that Arsenal’s value has since surged, making a purchase today far more costly.
He added, “I don’t have that kind of excess liquidity to go and buy a club for $4 billion… I will remain a major supporter of Arsenal, but I don’t think it makes sense today to buy Arsenal.”
Furthermore, Dangote emphasized the importance of recognizing priorities, explaining that while acquiring Arsenal would have been a passion project, his commitment to the refinery was a strategic choice for his business and Nigeria’s economy.
“At that time [when I wanted to buy], they were not doing very well. But the refinery was my top priority, and I believe that was the right decision,” he concluded.
